EFCC Charges NBA President Usoro With N1.4b Fraud

• EFCC Charges NBA President Usoro With N1.4b Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a N1.4 billion fraud charge against Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President Paul Usoro (SAN), at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

Justice Muslim Hassan fixed December 10 for the EFCC to arraign Usoro.

The anti-graft agency, in a charge marked FHC/418c/18, alleged that Usoro, from Akwa Ibom, converted and laundered the money in connivance with Governor Udom Emmanuel.

The charge sheet, signed by EFCC Counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, did not list Emmanuel as a defendant.

The EFCC indicated that he is “currently constitutionally immuned against criminal prosecution”.

It did, however, mention four other defendants.

They are: Nsikan Nkan, described as commissioner for Finance, Akwa Ibom State; Mfon Udomah, described as the accountant-general of Akwa Ibom State; Uwemedimo Nwoko, described as the Akwa Ibom State attorney-general and commissioner for Justice; and Margaret Ukpe, all of whom are said to be at large.

The commission alleged that Usoro, in connivance with the others , conspired to commit the offence “sometime in 2015 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court.”

The anti-graft agency claimed that the N1.4 billion belonged to the Akwa Ibom State government.

According to Oyedepo, the offences were contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.